The Painting Process

Preparations for Paint Job

Before the start of any paint job either interior or exterior you should have already selected the colors you want. If you have not already chosen colors, please let us know and we can help you. For an exterior painting job we ask you to move any items not to be painted away from the side of your home. For an interior paint job we ask that you take all small valuables out of the room to be painted and where possible move furniture to the middle of the room to be painted. If for any reason you cannot move the furniture, we will do this.

We also ask that you provide an area where we can set up and keep tools and equipment. We will lay drop cloths to protect the area. A garage, shed or patio area will be fine.

Exterior Painting

Exterior painting starts with a pressure wash. The pressure washer will knock some of the falling paint off of the house. The resulting debris around the house will be cleaned up after the wash and any remaining debris removed by the end of the job.

To avoid water entering the house insure that all windows are closed and inform us if you know of any windows that do not seal well or any areas you believe water might enter the house.

Scraping will be done to all areas where the paint is loose. Scraping is done to remove any falling paint. All paint scrapings will be cleaned as needed. Small areas may need to be scraped again following the application of primer or paint because some paint will be pulled from the surface following the application of paint or primer.

Feather sanding is done in areas where the paint has failed and the material below is showing. Feather sanding is designed to reduce the visibility of the ridge that is created by the paint failures. Sanding will not eliminate the paint ridge; it will only reduce their visibility. Light sanding is done on glossy and certain other unpainted surfaces to create a “bite” for the latex to adhere to.

We prime all areas where there is a bare surface (wood, metal) with a high quality exterior primer. This protects the surface and gives the paint something to bond to.

We caulk areas around the home that were previously caulked. These areas include window and door trim. We use a top of the line latex water-based material.

Stucco

If there is loose or falling paint on stucco this will be scraped or brushed. Small cracks that are bigger than hairline cracks will be caulked. Hairline cracks can generally be filled adequately with paint. Larger cracks and smaller holes will be filled with stucco patch. Holes that are the size of a half dollar unless very shallow, cannot be fixed using stucco patch and must be fixed before we paint, unless stipulated otherwise in the contract.

Masking

Masking is the use of a thin layer of plastic sheeting for covering areas needing protection from spray painting. The masking of windows and other areas to avoid painting will remain for several days while spraying is taking place. Trees and plants around the house will also be covered up.

Painting

Trees, plants, shrubs and other greenery that may be close to the house should be cut back to give us room to work around the house. Some plants which are close to the house and cannot be trimmed may get stepped on, thought we will make every effort avoid this as possible.

We generally spray all areas that can be sprayed. On medium to thick stucco and on some wooden surfaces the area will be back-rolled as well to push the paint in for a more even and uniform finish. All areas that cannot be sprayed will be rolled if possible. Those areas that cannot be rolled or sprayed will use paint brush application.

Any color change generally requires two coats of paint to ensure that the color does not bleed through. Really dark or bright colors may need three coats. You will be informed in advance for any additional cost for the additional coat of paint. We recommend the highest quality paints for durability and longevity.

Interior Painting

We will confirm with you in advance the colors being used for each room. A test patch should be placed on the wall before painting starts to insure the color is what you expect. We will need your help in determining which nails in the walls will stay, which are to be removed and what holes are to be filled with drywall compound. We will place drop cloths on all flooring and furniture and remove all faceplates.

In order to make the interior painting experience as painless as possible we ask that you inform us of the order you prefer to have the rooms painted. When we are done, we will move all furniture back to where it was originally and replace the faceplates.